Oh Shaaaauuunnnna Ohhh Shauuunnnna. Oh wait - that was Oh Donna.

Dedicated to Shauna: The Fashion Naysayer

OK Miss I Can't Find Anything Remotely Cute To Wear That Doesn't Cost As Much As Brain Transplant - this blog's for you.

Fashion Truth #1: Reasonably priced items do not necessarily = AWESOME.

Fashion Truth #2: AWESOME does not necessarily = first born child.

My rules: Unless I decide I will have an aneuryism if I don't buy that certain pair of shoes, I pretty much never buy anything full price. And let me tell you ...don't be intimidated by Nordstroms's, or Banana, or JCrew, or any other store you hold fantasies about going into because if you just keep going back, you will be rewarded. The trick here is frequency. See something you like...give it a few days...check back...maybe something else just got marked 70% off. And so on.

Ex# 1 I was mindlessly flipping through the sale racks at BR, when what to my wondering eyes did appear, but a fabulous pair of dress slacks that were normally $128 that were on sale for $34.98, and they were in petite! Bonus!

Ex #2

See this cute little number? This is for kids of course (this is a size 2 for girls). Beautiful lined party dress that regularly goes for $158. Would any of you pay that much for a party dress for a 2 year old? Not I. But, lucky me, this dress is on sale for $23.99, and so I promptly bought one. Even if I don't use it for Addy next summer, I could sell it on eBay for a smashing good deal.

OK, are you convinced that there is reasonably priced fashion outside of Target (I love Target as much as the next girl)? You may have to venture into the world of online shopping...but there are ways around shipping costs/returns, etc. Don't let it initimidate you, young padawan!

So, note that this is round one: T-shirts for hot Georgia sweatiness. Please also see last blog for sweaty recommendations. We can pick another theme later, but here you go...many cute tees for under $20.
Behold:

Lucy gingko rib tee - new greed - $19.99

Gap 3/4 sleeve scoop neck henley - heather gray - $7.99

Lucy watercolor poppies tee - white - $19.99

J.Crew Solid classis pique polo - in bright papaya - $15.99

J.Crew Tie-Dye Cotton Tee - in vivid lime - $15.99 I LOVE this shirt - I think it's super cute. May have to buy one for myself!!

Gap striped cap sleeve scoop neck T - orange - $7.99 - I may have to get one of these too.

I knew this wouldn't appeal to everyone, but just for fun, I had to throw in this J.Crew dress: reguarly priced at $138, now at $39.99. It would like utter pooh on me, so someone else needs to buy it. J.Crew Bermuda striped ruffled shirtdress - summer pink (also comes in navy).

Brought to you by...shameless plugs:

For Cassy...

Wow, don't you wish you were a nursing mom so you could be THIS sexy?

I know I do. And Cassy, you're in luck! This bra now also comes in a K cup! (how big is that anyway? 3 watermelons?)

Dirty Diana...Ok she's not really dirty, but if there is a song with your name, I will use it.

I really should be working on my lesson for church on Sunday, but...I'm having writers block and shopping is more fun oh no I did not really mean that I am going to hell because I like shopping more than teaching aaaaahhhh!

OK because I am lazy, I am not organizing this in any fabulous way, but finnnnnallly...here are my selections for Diana to go to a family reunion in a barn in August somewhere really hot.

I adore this top with every fiber of my being, and it would look super cute on Diana. If you are going for muy casual, you could do these cute little clam diggery's...
OR...snazz it up a titch with a skirt. No sense in going formal. Again, this is in a barn.
Or you could always do my favorite standby of white top/cute skirt.
I also adore this dress, however, there is no way to guesstimate how long the legs of the iron dress stand are, and whether this would be a touch slutty or not. V. sad. Because I think it's fab and would be HAWT. Damn Paris!

All of the above attire is from Anthropologie.

I will not attempt to explain why the following picture of the flip flops is so frigging huge. It does NOT mean I like them more than everything else. I simply have better things to do with my time than to dither about with jpeg sizes whatsyjiggies (translation: I am secretly a technophobe).

Bygones.

I think these flip flops, which are a smidge dressier than your typical Old Navy plastics, would go with any of the above outfits, and would be appropriate for an event held in...yes, a barn. In the middle of August. In...Florida? Somewhere sweaty.

Behold the glory of J.Crew:

Be warned - when you go to the J.Crew website, it starts singing to you. I was very confused and thought my neighbor was serenading me for a minute.

*Sidenote. Speaking of sweat... this stuff works like nobody's business. I highly recommend.

Back to shoes... If you're feeling wedgie (I didn't say you HAVE a wedgie), these are good fun:

As Marie would say, JS makes a cute pair of shoes (Jessica Simpson). To add a little color, I love these. Now whether they would go with all the above outfits is another story, but I still love them. Plus, not all of us have legs that are shaped quite right (i.e. does not have cankles) to wear ankle straps. Diana is one of these people who has lovely legs and would look quite good with all this ribbon going on - also because, and correct me if I'm wrong, but I think you've complained about your ankles being too skinny? If I'm mixing you up with someone else, deepest apologies. I think your ankles are lovely. Anyway, all the ribbon would hide any unflattering skinniness, if such skinniness exists.

Too cute, no? I could never wear these, so someone must buy. Plus, they are on sale. These are both from Piperlime.com.

OK I think that is quite enough for one day. Shauna...I haven't forgotten about you. Fashionable clothing at reasonable prices coming up! Did that sound like a Ross ad or what?

Oh, and Ashby...this would be my perfect room from the great PB:

I know, it's not a room, but oh man, wouldn't this be nice? My ultimate home decorating fantasy.

First Ever Personal Shopping Experience! (formal)

OK, here is my very first personal shopper find. Keep in mind that this dress is not intended for adult use - unless you are going to a 70's dance party and smoking a lot of weed. Or whatever drug was hip in the 70's.

How freaking cute would this be on a little love? My friend is going to a family reunion in a BARN, so I thought this would be cute for her little one who will be about 15 months by then. Adorable, no? I found this at Boden.

Still working on the outfit for mama, but we'll get there.

**Sidenote: it is 9pm and all I've eaten since noon is a bowl of cereal, half of which Addy ate anyway. And yet, I cannot stop shopping!!! Either I have found my calling, or I need therapy.

Cause we are living in a material world, and I am a Material Girl

Premature disclaimer: this is going to be a long and fruity blog that will give you much to ponder, so if you haven't already put your feet up with a bowl of pudding, you best take care of that now.

My friend Diana and I were talking the other night about what spastic spenders we are, and what kind of pyschological dysfunction this comes from. I love how she put it... "Iiiiii neeeeeeeed.........A SHRUB! andwehavetogogetitrighthtisminuteoritwon'tbetheexactoneiwantaaahhhhhh!" I laughed at her insanity because I have just the exact same cocktail of obsessive, impulsive, sheer and utter spastic spending going on. No two ways to say it. Do any of my other crazies out there do this? You suddenly feel that you've had direct revelation that you MUST buy a shrub (insert here whatever applies, i.e. purse/shoes/noodle ramen/20 tons of gravel?) and you MUST buy it NOOOOW. NOW! You feel like the couch gave you the ejector electric hiney shock and so you LEAP off the offending furniture and run willy nilly with your arms flailing about all the way (shouting Willy Nilly!!! Shrubs!!!) to the approriate store that will fulfill this deepest, darkest compulsion and when you find it you just start throwing credit cards at the scared check out lady - just let me have it!!! I MUST BUY!!! And if's she too slow, you may even leap over the checkout stand and grab that scanner from the IQ deficient being you were saddled with, because for the LOVE OF ALL THINGS HOLY IT IS NOT THAT HARD TO SCAN 18 wheelbarrows!!!!

Has anyone done this? Me neither. But it sounds like a heaping good time.

Speaking of shopping, I've been thinking that it would be fun to channel, or harness, if you will, all of "shopping energies" into something that may do something positive for a change instead of just ruining my credit score. So, I think I want to become a personal shopper. I really haven't the foggiest notion of how to attempt somethint like this, so I thought I would start with a few test runs.

What you and I, lovely reader, are going to do is set out on a little adventure I like to call "Letting Micaela Dress You: Akin to sticking hot pokers in your eyes, or to a warm bath with a sea salt scrub?"

So here is what I need from you! I need submissions of info about you and what you are looking for. I will then search high and low, hither and yon until I find what I think the best thing would be. Once I have found said item(s), I will then post what you asked for, etc. and then post my response, and everyone can provide a rating on whether or not I done good.

Sound fun? I think so!

So, you can send me a submission either via email micaelacrapo@gmail.com or just comment on this blog and I'll see it.

Most of you that read this, I know pretty well. But. If there is some brave soul out there who I haven't met yet, I'll need a clear idea of your personality, likes/dislikes, a picture of you, favorite brands of whatever you're looking for (clothing or housewares or makeup). For everyone, I will of course need a clear idea of what your looking for and how you plan to use it, and a general price range.

I will shop for you for almost anything - furniture, makeup, cleanser, shoes, clothes, etc. Of course, you don't have to actually buy what I find for you - it will just be pics and links to websites that I'll give you. If at least 10 people submit, the winner (who I matched best) will get a FREE MAC LIPSTICK picked out for you, by me. Your secret shopper.

OK this was sort of a wild hair idea, but I think it could be fun.

Happy Submitting! Nighty nightcaps. I'm off to bed with Harry. Potter that is.